I own a Latitude E6500 computer with a PROSUPPORT CONTRACT, that I purchased from the Dell internet site, which is an UPGRADED CONTRACT that affords one to have on-site service/parts and labor within 24 hours. This is a small-business contract. My business depends fully on the use of my computer. I have had Dell computers for ten years, after having MACs from the time they were first produced (and NEVER had a problem with a MAC!). In ten years, every DELL computer I have had has failed. Dell produces their hardware outside of the U.S. THEIR HARDWARE IS INFERIOR, GUARANTEED TO BREAK.

I have lost three spindle hard drives in a year's time - Drives that are supposed to last at least five years or more. I never lost a drive from a MAC. In the loss of those HD's, I have lost my business! The purpose of the upgraded business contract is to repair or replace to make my business run smoothly and my life easier. After the third drive died, at the suggestion of the original developer of Microsoft, who is also a good friend, I requested that Dell replace the drive with a digital drive.

Considering that I have spent countless hours out of work because of Dell's defective and incompetent equipment and people (including hours and hours and hours on the phone with tech support and waiting for new parts and then having to reinstall everything on each drive), it seemed to be a win-win for both me and Dell. The real insanity began in attempting to rectify a horrible situation of the loss of my business. I got passed onto India to a woman named **, who I could not understand her Indian accent, but discovered she was in the "Fraud Division" of Dell. I had to have her spell her conversation because it was almost impossible to understand her.

When she slandered me by calling me a fraud, I was beyond upset. Fraud???? For what??? Protecting my clients and myself?? It seems Dell was looking for the three drives, which they were FULLY AWARE AND ON NOTICE and IN AGREEMENT that I was retaining the drives until such time that I could locate a degaussing machine to be totally 100% sure my clients' sensitive and highly personal information (including social security numbers, dates of birth, addresses and banking information) was gone to protect them and myself, as required by someone with integrity and professional licenses. Dell does not seem to think that is important.

I, however, am committed to excellence and refuse to put my clients or myself at risk. Shame on Dell. This has dragged on for months already. My business is still down. I wrote to Michael Dell and his attorneys, for which I have proof of receipt in November 2010, to attempt to get an explanation as to why Dell thinks I am a fraud. To date, I have had absolutely no response! It is a very deep offense to slander and libel someone. I will not stand for the treatment Dell has lowered itself to. The operations of Dell leave a lot to be desired.

Michael Dell and his staff sit in an Ivory Tower hiding like the children they are, fearful of dealing with their customers on a professional basis. Michael Dell and his BOD are so well-hidden, that it is impossible to get to someone in their Tower. Do they think they are GOD??? So, after many discussions with the limitless amount of overstaffed and incompetent employees at Dell, I had an agreement with a manager named ** that said once the drives were returned, I would be given a system exchange for all the hardship Dell engaged in with me and my company.

I was finally able to locate a reputable facility to degauss the drives and returned them to Dell with the provided shipping labels. Dell has had the drives for weeks, yet has not responded to the receipt of them. I attempted to contact the manager only to find he is out of the office until the end of January. I attempted to move this along faster and ended up in India again with that same dysfunctional, incompetent person, who should be cleaning bathrooms and not handling customer service as she is inept and angry at Americans, **.

Rather than keep their word, and more importantly, adhere to the contract I have with Dell, ** has taken it upon herself to cancel my contract (steal my money and kill my business) and say she is the only person in Dell (of all the millions of overstaffed, incompetent employees) that I can speak with. She refuses to put her manager on the phone. WHAT IS SHE HIDING ABOUT HERSELF? WHAT DOES SHE FEAR? How many more people and businesses has she succeeded in hurting? She refuses to do the right thing.

** has slandered me, libeled me and virtually put me out of business because Dell will not honor the contract they OFFERED TO ME AND I ACCEPTED (OFFER + ACCEPTANCE = CONTRACT), making Dell in default of the contract!!! I have attempted to contact legal and Michael Dell, to no avail. It seems legal only wants to speak with a lawyer. What happened to our Constitutional rights? There is no law in my country that forces one to hire a lawyer. We are entitled to act Pro Se. I now have a letter in to the Board of Directors of Dell. I am giving them 24 hours to reply.

My next move, and it will be destructive to Dell, as I will not let a company that does not operate in integrity get away with this egregious behavior, is to engage the State Attorney General, the FCC and the FTC, along with all media avenues including TV, radio and print. It is about time Dell gets deeply investigated for the fraud and theft they have engaged in, and that they get shut down and fined for their actions!!! I find it amazing that a company that large depends on one ignorant and mean-spirited Indian woman to make decisions that she is incompetent to do!! Anyone up for a class action lawsuit? I am! Come join me and let's put Dell out of business.

They do not deserve to live the American Dream. How can they? They don't even keep their business in the U.S., further putting up walls to attempt to protect themselves while they continue to defraud consumers with internet theft!!!!! Don't buy Dell. YOU WILL END UP IN DELL HELL. Buy Mac!!!!!! Shame on you, Michael Dell!!! YOU ARE A BIG REASON OUR COUNTRY IS IN THE MESS IT IS IN!!!!! When are you going to do the right thing???

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I'm In Dell Hell

By cinpa - 11/11/2009

ROUND ROCK, TEXAS -- In April, 2009, I was in the market for a new computer. We have always purchased Gateway computers and have had no problems or issues with them. I was a satisfied Gateway customer but my daughter insisted that I go with a Dell instead. The computer was purchased on April 23, 2009. We were also charged tax on the shipping. We are told by the so-called Dell Resolution Team after we started actually having problems with the computer that the warranty clock starts ticking from the time of the purchase, even though you don't actually have the computer to use. Therefore, it is not a true one-year warranty.

At first, the problems were little quirky things, like the Internet freezing or the sound coming and going. We never thought twice about it. On 10-19-09, the computer would not boot at all. I tried pressing the enter key as instructed but received the same message. I turned the computer off and on several times. I unplugged the computer from the wall but still received the same message. At that point, I called Dell's Customer Service and that's when I entered into a black hole that I refer to as “Dell Hell.” My call was answered by a technician in India.

Previously I was a medical transcriptionist for 23 years and have worked with doctors, interns, etc. so I am well-versed in foreign accents and the use and misuse of the English language. However, I had difficulty understanding this technician at times. A U.N. Interpreter shouldn't be necessary to communicate with tech support for a product purchased in the United States. I could tell that she was quite annoyed with my repeated attempts to interpret what she was saying. She repeatedly asked me (very loudly) “Are you with me?” She had me take my computer apart, disconnect the hard drive and then reconnect it back up.

She then advised me that the hard drive and the system board would need to be replaced, after which she asked if I could install the parts myself. Isn't this a service that was provided with the purchase of my computer? When I told her that I could not install the parts, she laughed. She then had to check if there was a service technician available in my area. I had to inform her that my bill of sale states that I am entitled to “1 year In-Home Service.” She then informed me that the technician would be at my home on Wednesday. She confirmed my name, address and phone number.

Then she tried to convince me that I needed to buy an external hard drive from Dell to back my information up. In fact, she strongly encouraged it. Wednesday came and went, as did Thursday and when Friday came and I had not heard from anyone regarding this issue, I called the Dell Customer (No) Service department again. I asked to speak to a manager. Another Indian speaking gentleman came on the phone by the name of ** (support is from techs in India with pseudo-American names reading from scripts.) I told him that I wanted to speak to someone in the United States. He told me that was impossible and that from now on, my service would be through India.

He informed me the technician attempted to call me three times but no one answered. I told him that since I have an answering machine with caller ID and that was impossible since no calls were recorded on either machine. He placed a conference call with Dell's in-home service contractor. Apparently, the first Indian technician I spoke to gave them my name and address, but supplied my daughter's phone number and she lived in another state at the time. The contractor told Dell that the area code and address did not match but they never bothered to return the call. It wasn't until I made contact that the situation was resolved.

The contract technician was at my home an hour later. He installed the hard drive and the system board and my computer still did not work. Apparently the system board that was sent was also damaged. He called Dell to get a replacement. The tech from India didn't understand the repairman and kept asking him to perform different tasks. The repair man repeatedly told the gentleman from India that the system board was dead. After stating this fact 6 different times, they finally agreed to send another system board. I was then told that the repairman would be back on Monday, October 26, to make the final repair.

It turns out that the parts weren't even shipped until October 26 and the service tech installed them on Thursday, October 29. I was informed that the parts used were “refurbished.” I was furious. We did not PAY for a refurbished computer, we paid for a NEW one. If I had wanted a refurbished computer, I certainly could have purchased one at a much lower cost. I felt the parts should be new as that is what was paid for. By this time, I was assigned a contact whose title was Senior Support Resolver, Dell/Consumer Resolution Center (their choice of title, certainly not mine).

Apparently they don't know the meaning of “resolution.” Her first message she left me stated that she had tried to reach me but I was not available and so I was to respond to her e-mail instead. Now, remember, I don't have a computer so how in the world did she even expect me to reply to an e-mail? I have spoken to her on many occasions, mostly my speaking and her robotically reading the same paragraphs over and over again like I am a slow learner. If someone can only read paragraphs from a paper and cannot make normal conversation, they obviously have no clue as to what they are stating.

She continued to call me every day at the same time and read the same paragraph to me, then sends those exact same words in an e-mail. She informed me that no one will call on her days off and she announces what days those are. To prove a point that she has no clue as to what she is saying, she has read yet another paragraph to me stating that “refurbished” does not mean used or rebuilt. When I read the definition of refurbished from the Webster's to her, she reads her same paragraph back to me.

She then informed me that if this next part did not work, they would replace my computer with a new one (actually it is a refurbished computer but remember, according to ** from Dell, “refurbished does not mean used.”) I told her that I wanted to speak to someone in the United States. Then, she did have some real words to say and they were “You will never speak to anyone in the United States again. I am your only contact and you will never talk to anyone but me.” I was also informed that no one was above her or **. This was as high as I could go. Maybe the CEO of Dell would like to know that these contacts are his boss?

I was so furious by this time, I decided to call Dell Sales Department. Guess what? I got someone who actually spoke English. She was so very pleasant and was really willing to help with anything. She asked if I was interested in a desktop or laptop. After a few more questions, I said “now I have a question for you. Where are you located?” There was this pause, and then energetically she replied “Well, I'm in Austin, Texas. Why do you ask?” My reply was “Why don't they have sales in India like the (no) service?” I explained my situation and she said she would try to help me. I felt she was the only sincere person I've gotten to speak to as of yet.

Now, if you are a large corporation, guess what? Dell gives you the Gold Service. However, if you are just a personal computer owner, like me, Dell gives you the “shaft.” Since my daughter purchased the computer through her company, the lady from Austin said she would send me to the “Gold Service” department. I received another American technician. I once again explained the whole situation. She told me she was going to talk to her manager and placed me on hold. I was on hold for what seemed like eternity but being that I actually had someone from the states on the phone, I did not want to lose that call.

Well, guess what? When someone finally came back on the line, it was ** from India! I was back overseas. ** apparently was told that I wanted to return the computer. ** started our conversation by reading the return policy to me stating that the time limit of 21 days to return the computer had passed and that it could not be returned. He had no idea what customer I even was even though he had spoken to me on several different occasions. He then transferred my call to sales yet again in India to “purchase” another computer. I told them that the Dell computer I already owned didn't work, why in the world would I purchase another one?

By the way, the 21 days starts when the order is placed, not when you actually receive the computer. Therefore, if they don't deliver your computer until 22 days after you actually purchase it, it cannot be returned. How fair do you think this return policy actually is? There are numerous, and I mean endless, complaints about this same Dell Customer (no) Service posted on the internet. I have spent hours upon hours reading the horrifying experiences and still didn't get through all of them. They mirror my story. I have also noted online that Dell has had Class Action Suits in 48 states for similar practices, yet they continue to do the same.

I have also found that some people have experienced identity theft after going through Dell's Financial Department. Funny, three days after my initial call with India, I received a phone call from a gentleman asking to speak to a “Mr. & Mrs. **.” Normally I would have told him he had the wrong number since he could not pronounce my last name. However, this gentleman had an Indian accent and so I assumed he was from Dell's technical support.

I asked what the call was in reference to. His reply was “It's about your mortgage.” My reply was “What?” and he stated “You don't have a mortgage?” I told him that that was none of his business and that I was registered with the “Do Not Call” and never to call me again. Coincidence? You can decide. We are now left with a computer that doesn‘t work properly. We have difficulty connecting to the internet even though we have broadband. The page we are on freezes. The mouse indicator goes away and the sound comes and goes. It seems like every day brings yet another problem.

Talking with Dell Resolution team is like beating a dead horse and brings no resolution whatsoever. Dell's answer seems to be to give me someone else's piece of “refurbished” garbage when I paid top-dollar for brand new. We've lost very important information on this computer because of the first system failure. I've spent countless hours trying to replace some of the files, others are lost forever. I probably should have backed up the system but who would ever expect a system this new to crash? I've also spent countless hours on the phone with no resolution from their so-called “Resolution Team.”

Dell says it prides itself on its corporate code of conduct to include Trust, Integrity, Honesty, Judgment, Respect, and Responsibility. They state that their success is built on a foundation of personal and professional integrity. I am enclosing a copy of that same code of conduct. Apparently those in charge didn't receive that particular memo because they certainly do not live by those standards. Maybe their mind needs refreshed. There was a time when Dell actually lived by these standards, but that was before the greed. Frustrated is putting it mildly as to how I'm feeling right now. This is by far the worst customer service I have ever experienced.

Dell has no real phone number for the corporate office. In fact I've concluded that Dell Corporate simply doesn't care about repeat customers as they apparently have absolutely no feedback once the computer leaves the factory nor do they care. It won't be long before they will go the way of Woolworth's, Montgomery Wards and so many others. They cannot continue to lie and cheat their customers and really expect to have any customers. At Dell, customer service means no service at all. Dell's consumers are intentionally misled, and they've had to pay for that “privilege.” It's sad to say that I will never do business with Dell again.

I plan on posting this story on every possible complaint site there is in addition to e-mailing this letter to everyone I know. I will also be mailing numerous letters to Dell and other agencies until I see some type of resolution. This was our first experience with Dell and I can assure you, it shall be our last! Dell has a goal to “Earn a seat at the Billion Dollar Roundtable.” I say, not on my dime! Your Goals for 2010 and Beyond are many… How about we start with a working product and customer satisfaction!

Dell states their goal is to increase communications about corporate responsibility to customers. How can you possibly increase communications when there obviously is no communication to begin with? Let's first strive for a good product. Your motivational ads look great on paper but your bottom line does not reflect those same promises. According to Dell Key Performance Indicator Chart, your corporate revenue for Fiscal Year 2009 is less than that reported in Fiscal Year 2008, even though you have nearly 10,000 less employees. It does not take a mathematical wizard to figure out why the numbers are off.

You have built your empire on the backs of hard-working people don‘t forget that. Dell corporate take a good look in the mirror because you are cheating the average American consumer! I have a news flash for corporate at Dell: Word of mouth is the BEST advertising.... Are you listening DELL?

"CODE OF CONDUCT”DELL'S HIGHER STANDARD” - Dell's success is built on a foundation of personal and professional integrity. We never compromise these standards and we will never ask any member of the Dell Team to do so either. We owe this to our customers, suppliers, shareholders and other stakeholders. And we owe it to ourselves because success without integrity is essentially meaningless. Our higher standard is at the heart of what we know as The Soul of Dell – the statement of the values and beliefs which define our shared global culture.

This culture of performance with integrity unites us as a company that understands and adheres to our company values and to the laws of the countries in which we do business. Just as The Soul of Dell articulates our values and beliefs, the following Code of Conduct provides guidance to ensure we meet our higher standard and conduct business the Dell Way - the right way; which is "Winning with Integrity." Simply put, we want all members of our team, our shareholders, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders to understand that they can believe what we say and trust what we do.

Our higher standard includes several key components and characteristics that both underpin The Soul of Dell and provide the foundation for our Code of Conduct. Trust. Our word is good. We keep our commitments. Integrity. We do the right thing without compromise. We avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Honesty. What we say is true and forthcoming – not just technically correct. We are open and transparent in our communications with each other and about business performance. Judgment. We think before we act and consider the consequences of our actions.

Respect. We treat people with dignity and value their contributions. We maintain fairness in all relationships. Courage. We speak up for what is right. We report wrongdoing when we see it. Responsibility. We accept the consequences of our actions. We admit our mistakes and quickly correct them. All of us – regardless of grade level, position or geographic location – should base our daily actions and conduct on these standards, which support The Soul of Dell and our ultimate success. Thank you for your commitment to our Code of Conduct and to maintaining Dell's higher standard. Signed, Michael Dell"

WEBSTER'S DEFINITION OF REFURBISH: freshen up (v), renovate (v). To refurbish used parts. On this web page, when I click on “Refurbish Dell” I get the following. An excerpt taken from the book “Green to Gold” by Daniel Esty and Andrew Winston, page 125, states: "... then dismantles the machine. Dell refurbishes and reuses some parts, and recycles the plastics. In the ..."

Or, how about an excerpt from “Green IT” by Toby Velte, Anthony Velte, and Robert Elsenpeter found on page 175, stating: "... brings a computer to be recycled into a Goodwill store, Dell will pick it up, refurbish it, sell it, and give those profits to Goodwill...." (So nice of Dell to make a donation to Goodwill on my dime). So which is it Dell, is Refurbish new or used?

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Don't buy a Dell TV or anything else for that matter.

By AppleSnack - 03/14/2006

DETROIT, MICHIGAN -- This is the longest rant I can even think of. It doesn't even cover it in full but it should cover 90% of what I'm trying to get across which is don't buy a Dell unless you want to spend hours punching yourself in the face. I purchased a 42" Plasma TV on December 26, 2005 for $3,000 with a home install, extended warranty and mounting brackets. I mentioned that this would be installed on a brick fireplace to the sales rep to ensure I would get the correct brackets for mounting the TV. I received the TV on Jan 12, 2006 after being guaranteed a quick delivery.

I opened the product to make sure I received a complete order and noticed that the screws given for the mounting brackets were for wood or drywall and NOT concreted/brick that I had mentioned. I then proceeded to look for the number to schedule my install and correct my bracket mounting issue. No information was provided with the product so my wife called customer service to get a phone number but Dell's computers were out of service and they couldn't help at that particular moment.

She called back again and spoke with someone about getting the right parts for the mounting bracket which said was not part of the mounting kit and we would have to purchase those separately. Dell decided to give us a partial credit on the mounting bracket to purchase our own bolts. We then proceeded to ask for the number to the install department, we were given a number to their computer install department which does NOT install plasma TVs. The wife called several more times back to customer service to get the correct number and was put on hold and transferred to another department for printers and then transferred again.

I decided to call from my cell phone to the sales department because I know they answer the phone a hell of a lot more quickly then customer service. When I talked to the gentlemen on the phone I explained that we purchased a TV and it just arrived and that we had also purchased the home install but was not given the instructions or who to contact. He paused for a good long second and then informed me that to have the home install it costs roughly $150 dollars and he would gladly help me with the purchase. I asked him if he was kidding or if he wasn't able to decipher what I had just told him 2 minute ago.

I repeated again, "I already purchased the install and I need the number to those individuals who will be installing it. Nothing came with the TV specifying how to go about getting it installed!" He then replied, "You'll have to call customer service for those numbers". My blood is boiling now because my wife has spent the last 20+ mins on hold while I just had that enlightening conversation with the guy from sales. So I decide to call customer service myself while she sits on the line because I may get a different result with the call. I sit for about 15 mins on the phone line and my wife looks at me and says she thinks she was just disconnected.

I wait about another 10 mins and get someone on the phone but the phone has so much feedback that it sounds as though the guy is riding on top of a 747 and I had to end the call because we couldn't understand each other. My wife makes another attempt because I was going to return the TV and purchase it from somewhere else. She finally gets the correct information and we make the call to the install department and are told it will be about a week before they can have anyone come out to install it. I tell my wife not to schedule an install and that I'll do it myself and we'll just get a refund from Dell for the install.

She calls back to unscheduled the install appointment and they offer to have a guy out the next day to install it which she accepts because she doesn't want me attempting to install a 70-lbs + expensive item on the wall by myself. I agree to let them do the work and I finally have my TV up and running on the wall. 6 days later I come home Friday from work looking forward to watching some football over the weekend on my new plasma screen TV. I turn on the TV and a large black vertical strip is present through the DELL logo that starts up when you first turn on the TV and is present through all of the TV shows.

I chuckle to myself that this can't be happening, so I take a couple pictures of the TV as it is and call Dell. I get someone on the phone from Dell and we go over the basics, "Is it plugged in? Do you have all the cables connected right?" Did you have this mounted in the shower next to a heat lamp while pouring dirt down the back of it? I explain that it's been 6 days and everything that has happened thus far. So the gentlemen assures me we'll make it easy and it looks the return is going to be a BREEZE!!!! They tell me that a technician will call me to schedule bringing out a new TV and swap the old TV out.

I wait about 4 days and I call them back to let them know I haven't received a phone call to schedule a delivery and they go over my phone information and I find out that it's wrong. I remember when we purchased the TV that we had to correct the address because they had our old information from when I lived in a different city and bought a Dell laptop when my confidence was HIGH with Dell. So, they take the number and they also have a tracking number for the replacement TV. I was a little confused. They said a technician will be delivering the product and taking the old one back.

The product is scheduled to be delivered in 10 days and was shipped the same as before and I asked him I thought was to be expedited to my home and he says that it was expedited it was shipped within 3 days from our warehouse. 10 days later I get my new TV to replace my old TV. Again, I have no numbers for the technicians that will be swapping out the TVs. I don't bother to call Dell. Instead, I decide to take the TV off the wall, take off the brackets and install them on the new TV that came in. I put the old TV back on its stand and put it back into the container of the new TV. Along with the shipping information was a slip to return the product through DHL.

I get everything wrapped up and my wife schedules to have the product picked up by DHL to be delivered back at Dell. They pick up the TV and I even help the driver pick the TV up and put it in the back of his truck. 2 weeks after the delivery of the new TV I get a call from the technician looking to schedule a time to come out and service our TV. They received the information from Dell and were ready to swap out the TVs. I inform them that I had already shipped the TV back to Dell with the return slip that was provided on the box. The technician is a little puzzled but not so much as he says "Dell is pretty much a bunch of idiots and expected the mix up."

I said be sure to BILL Dell for all the hard work you've provided me because I'm certainly not getting ANY benefits from purchasing from them. 6 weeks after the delivery of the new TV I get a letter in the mail stating that I have NOT returned the product and that our account was to be suspended until they receive the item. Now, I'm fuming!!!!!!! I am now getting accused of NOT doing something that I did. My own mistake was misplacing the shipping slip I got from DHL not thinking that they would lose a 70 lbs + TV in the mail!

I'm at work now making phone calls to Dell to clear this information up because I'm certain it's probably sitting in a warehouse waiting to be checked in or has been repackaged and sent out to some other unwary customer who will find they have just received a broken TV. So I ask Dell for the information on the Airbill they provided to me for the return that I sent them because I'm sure if they followed it up they would have seen that it has left my house and they need to do the work of finding it.

Unfortunately, they don't have any numbers that would translate into a return number even though they provided me with the easy to return slip for the paid amount of the product to be returned. They also said they tried to contact me but the number they called which was my old number that I asked them to change was still on the account. I've mentioned it so many times that the number was wrong - that it's irritating. The lady informed me that when a product is shipped to an address with a number, the number for that order cannot be changed.

So they go about it by noting the account that the number doesn't match the old number and you hope that someone would do their due diligence to read over the account notes to see that the number is incorrect. So I call DHL thinking they can just do a reverse lookup or the originating address of pickup to my house. It seems that they don't keep records longer than 1 month and they don't tie the tracking information from an address rather the originating zip code and the destination zip code.

Here I am now, helpless as ever waiting for (2) big companies to figure out where they screwed up and it all comes down to (2) things I did wrong. I purchased a Dell product, didn't keep a shipping receipt. I'll even mention my calls to Dell to have my payment for the TV deferred until I actually received the product. I didn't want a bill showing up prior to my product especially after all of the grief I've had on the phone. The lady that did the deferred payment said she had no problem doing it and reschedule it for the end of the following month.

I asked her to send me an email confirming the deferred payment for my records but she could not because the owner of the account happens to be my Mother and that they could not send me the information. So I asked the lady, "You can let me change the date at which my payment is DUE but you can't send me an email?" She said "That is correct because I'm not the owner of the account". Do you see missing logic here? I work for a large corporation who purchases Dell products and I'm sending this story along to EVERYONE in the corporation so they do not have the misfortune that I have had from purchasing a Dell. DON'T BUY DELL.

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Don't Buy a Dell

By Brendan - 06/25/2012

Rating: 1/51

AUSTIN, TEXAS -- This is just a fair warning to anyone considering buying a Dell product. Last year I purchased a laptop from Dell and within a few months had problems with it - spontaneously shutting off, not shutting down, but off like a light bulb, with no warning. Dell support, a whole issue in itself, walked me through a seemingly endless diagnostics routine. Everything checked out fine. We ended up just doing a system restore. They theorized that it was because the computer lid was closed prior to the shut down process completing. This was ridiculous, a total BS guess.

Within a week the computer was up to its same old tricks. If I held perfectly still it might stay on but if I placed the laptop on my lap, of all places, it would shut off at the slightest movement. Back on the phone with Dell CS. They didn't keep any notes from my previous call so I had to start all over again with them. Once I refused to do the diagnostics again they conceded to send me a box to ship it back in. 2 weeks later the box returned and within a few weeks it was back to the same old story. I suffered through this for about 6 months because I just can't afford to be without a computer for weeks. But after a while I can't take it anymore and call them again.

Back on the phone with CS and again, no history. Disconnected me a couple times just to make my experience complete. They resolve to send another box for me to ship it back in but I tell them that I am nearing the end of my warranty and am concerned that I will get it back and within days my warranty will expire leaving me no time to evaluate if it is indeed fixed this time. Here is where it gets important to get it in writing from Dell. The CS tech assures me (more than once as I made him repeat it) that if the same problem persists they will fix it free of charge outside of the warranty.

I send it back and, well, you know what happens next. A few weeks after getting it back it does the same thing but now I am outside the warranty period. But that's OK, right? Because the CS tech assured me they would stand by their product.

Today they told me that they cannot offer me a free repair, not that I even believe at this point that they can repair it or ever even made an honest attempt to in the past. What they can do is refer me to the out-of-warranty repair folks who I can pay to once again fail to repair my computer. If you are thinking about buying a Dell, please, keep shopping. They don't care about you. If your computer breaks while under warranty I seriously doubt that they will make any effort to honestly repair it.

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Dell. Horrible Product and Worst Support

By James - 05/19/2006

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA -- I purchased a Dell Inspirion e1705 less than a month ago. In large part the decision to make my first Dell computer purchase was based on Dell's reputation of having high quality products and a good customer support department. Based on a recent technical problem with my computer, however, I have virtually no faith in either Dell's product quality or the premise that when technical problems do arise Dell's customer support staff has either the technical know how or desire to work out an effective solution for their customer.

As difficult as it soon may seem to believe, none of details in this report have been exaggerated in any way (I hope I wrote the names and ID number down correctly). Therefore, if you are in the market for a new computer, and Dell is on your short list of options, I strongly recommend being cautious in believing in Dell's claim to a 'persistent focus on delivering the best possible customer service'. Read below and learn from my hardship. As I stated above, I purchased a Dell Inspirion e1705 less than a month ago along with a 1 yr In-Home Extended Warranty. Dell's claim on this computer was that it is a great all-around computer.

I was even told by the Dell manager I worked with (**) that the e1705 was a very strong gaming computer (although I was disappointed to find out later it did not have guts strong enough to play Call of Duty II, one of the most popular PC games in the market today). Of course I was also surprised to find out that he did not know what multi-monitor workspace (extending the computer to two monitors concurrently) was and had to ask someone to verify the e1705 has this capability (it does).

Lastly, ** sold me on an in-home warranty program. His claim was that it was very worthwhile since it meant that if repairs were necessary within the warranty period I would not need to mail my computer in to their service department and that my repairs would be done by a certified service technician. Two days ago I wanted to take my laptop into my living room to work. I unplugging my computer and after moving I opened the computer to see the message, 'Preparing to Standby'. The computer froze on this screen for about 10 minutes before I finally powdered down the computer. Immediately after I powered the computer back up.

During boot up a text error message appeared. The message read 'c:\windows\system32\config\system'. I am by no means a highly knowledgeable computer user and after a few attempts at rebooting only to find the same error, this error seemed both unfamiliar and serious. Since it was after 10 pm I decided to call the service department. My first interaction with a Dell CSR - Time: 10:30, Service Rep Name: **, Service Rep Number: **, Service Rep Location: Calcutta.

Result: I was on the phone with this CSR for over two hours. For the first 45 minutes he tried to diagnose the problem. During our interaction, however, there would be periods of 5-10 minutes when he did not speak, requiring me to ask if he was still there. Although I am confident that he was trying to find a solution, the fact remains that during those times I did not know if he was still on the phone or if we had become disconnected. Although his demeanor was pleasant when we did talk, I did not get the sense that was particularly strong at his job or that he was interested in finding a solution.

After trying about three methods to solve the problem, he told me that my hard drive was corrupt and that Dell would send me a new one that I would need to install. At this point I was not only angry that my three-week old computer was seemingly broken and that it looked like I would lose all of my files, but that I would need to install the new hard drive. Even if ** was correct that the hard drive replacement was simple to do, I felt cheated since I had an in-home service technician warranty, the operative words being "in-home" and "service technician". At this point I asked to be given to a manager. The time was 11:30.

Although ** tried to tell me none were available I told him I would wait as long as necessary to speak to a manager. After about 25 minutes, I finally spoke to a manager. My second interaction with a Dell CSR - Time: 12:10, Service Rep Name: **, Service Rep Number: ** Service, Rep Location: Calcutta.

Result: The manager also had a generally pleasant demeanor. He also tried a few different solutions. ** seemed much more well-informed, but his proposed solutions also came up short. In fact, at around 1:45 am he had me try a new solution that required a computer check that took about 45 minutes. He said that he would call back at this time even though I asked to remain on the line, he insisted that they call back (certainly to save money, a point that I will bring up later). Oddly, I was pleased that at around 2:30 he did call back.

The news was not good. He claimed that based on the error and the result to the diagnostic check, my computer was broken, my files were lost and he also said that he could have a hard drive sent out to me for me to replace on my own. After considerable complaint by me he tried one last check. Although this last check seemed simple (I forget what it was) he said that now he thought it was a software problem and that for a fee I could be helped by the software support department. I wondered at the time how he was now so confident and if he was just giving me the run around.

At my request ** said that he would send a hard drive to my home so that if software department failed to solve my problem I make my fix as quickly as possible (I can only assume the hard drive is on its way). Once again I was not happy, but being that this is a new computer and that there may have been a glimmer of hope in getting my work back I decided to accept the transfer and fee (and that the fee was guaranteed if they did not fix the problem it would be reimbursed). Third Interaction with a Dell CSR - Time: 3:15 am, Service Rep Name: **,
Service Rep Number: ** Service Rep Location: The Philippines.

Result: This was by far my shortest conversation, partially because by this time I had been on the phone for five hours and partially because I had come to accept the computer that held the files that I used to run my two business was shot. ** tried a few diagnostic fixes. None worked. I saw the same exact error message I had seen all night. She then said, definitively, that it was a hardware problem and that she could send me to the hardware department. I said no, that I had already worked with them for over four hours with no success.

She said that she was sorry and that if a rep did not call in four to five days to process my refund for the service contract ($250 by the way) I should call in. I was dumbfounded. Not only did I get the hardware department telling me it was definitely the software and the software department telling me it was the hardware, but I was left with an in-home service agreement that forces me to tinker with the guts of a laptop (I've never even seen the inside of a laptop) for a three-week old computer that was supposed to be 'a great reliable computer' and as a blow, I needed to call back to ensure my refund was done appropriately.

To say the least I was angry, disenchanted with Dell, and completely regretting I did not buy a different product. The Kicker - Time 9:00 am, Service Rep Name: **, Service Rep Number: My Social Security Number
Service Rep Location: Southern California and the Internet Result: I had little hope left and I was still reeling that my computer was busted and that I was without a computer for three days, not counting the time it would take to get recover old files from my old computer, set up my programs, business network... I decided for as little hope as there seemed to be I would check the Internet myself for a solution. I went to a library with my laptop in hand.

Doing a general google search on the term 'c:\windows\system32\config\system' (the error message I had seen so often the night before) I found many, many hits. I opened up a few recommended solutions. Within the first two pages I found a solution that, while somewhat complex, worked. My computer booted up and I was able to quickly save all of my files on disk. I swear on all that is good, what three Dell service technicians could not fix in five hours and they claimed was a problem that would certainly result in the loss of my files I was able to find a solution that at least for the time being got me back to my files.

I have no idea if my computer is fully functional. As I said, I have fairly basic computer skills. So far I have not seen any glitches, yet I feel very suspicious that the underlying problem that caused this error in the first place is still lurking. Who knows when this time bomb will go off again. When it or something else does go wrong, and I feel safe in saying it probably will one day, I have little to no confidence it will be recoverable and I will lose precious work. In the end I feel cheated. My In-Home service warranty for which I paid extra money requires me to do the service myself (as opposed to the promised service technician).

My great all-around computer that could play PC games as well as support my two home businesses is not strong enough to play one of the most popular games on the market nor make it to its one month-old birthday without a significant error. I have a ticking time bomb of a platform and I have no idea when it will go off again.
When I called the service department I felt that everyone had only a partial interest in solving the problem.

Although everyone was kind and personable, none seemed terribly knowledgeable. This assumption is somewhat supported by the fact that I eventually found the solutions off the web on page one of the google search using the exact language of the error. Allowing myself a moment of informed speculation (I managed analysis for Capital One's operations including call centers).

I sense Dell knew it would be less expensive for them to send me a part and make me responsible for fixing this problem than work with me to really find a solution and bear the phone/CSR costs (even though doing so would result in me losing my data and use of my computer for many days). And although small, my backspace button squeaks. Petty until you need to write a complaint letter on planet feedback and hit it a few hundred times.
So my final word to Dell. I am a highly educated (MBA from Berkeley) 33-year old male.

I don't know the exact number, but if I had to wager a guess I would say that I will make dozens of computer purchases in my life, whether they be for personal use, family use or for by businesses. I have many friends who will be told this experience and I will continue to tell as many people as possible until I feel the experience has been remedied. I granted you an opportunity to show me the quality of your product, to make me a loyal Dell customer. So far you have fallen well short. However, you still have the opportunity make right, but at this point in time you need to do go above and beyond a simple fix to restore the faith I once had in your company. Regards.

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How Dell Supports Identity Theft

By eddiez67 - 04/30/2008

AUSTIN, TEXAS -- On 11/23/2007 I had a credit report done on myself. On that date I seen where some person or persons had changed my address to ** on 8/6/2007 {I have never lived in VA}. We read through my credit report and found that there was an account open in my name on that date through CIT Bank/DFS at phone **. When I called they give me a new number a **. On the day of 11/23/07 I found out that somebody had opened a credit account in my name and charged $1,413.79 onto the account. On that date I told the person that this was fraud and they needed to do something about this.

Due to the fact that my ex-wife and I had a hearing on 11/27/07 in Henrico, VA, where this person or persons lived, I stopped by the Henrico County Police Department and filed a police report. Between the time of 11/23 and 11/27 I found out that my ex-wife has been calling me from same address that was on this account, so she was named in this matter. After filing a police report the Officer told me to call the phone number back and give them the report number ICR # **, and in doing so I called the number back and it was DELL COMPUTER and they told me that somebody bought a new Dell Computer in my name.

The next day 11/28/07 my ex and I had a hearing on Fraud, so I talked to the Prosecuting Attorney and one of the judges there and they made it very clear that by law I'm not responsible for paying Dell back, or have anything put on my credit report. After about a week, I got a call from the police and the Investigator asked me about this matter and asked me to please call Dell back and ask for all the information, because by law I have the right to all the information on this account. So I called DELL COMPUTER and they said this account has been red-flagged and only police can get the information.

So then the police and I end up in a cat and mice game trying to get my information from Dell. One day after calling them like once a week, on or around 2/20/2008 I got somebody on the phone and they told me they, "Dell", would send me an affidavit and to fill the affidavit out, have it signed in front of a notary public, then send it back to them. On March 2, 2008 I received the affidavit from Dell, plus wrote my own affidavit. Had both affidavits sign in front of a Notary Pubic and sent back to dell on March 3, 2008. After about 2 weeks I got a letter back from Dell.

A ** at ** wrote me back and said since I didn't send a copy of the police report they can't process my information. So I tried calling back, and when I did talked to somebody and they still refused to listen to the fact that this is identity theft and not willing to do anything to help with this matter, and was only interested in me paying them the money. After we talked for like 30 minutes on the phone they told me I had to get a court order to get this information, so the officer turned my affidavit into a court order and sent that to Dell, and a copy of the police report.

I called Dell back to make sure they get everything, and was told that I had to talk to a ** at phone **. Like always nobody answered the phone at Dell, but ** did call back {he was the only one}. He did tell me he got the court order, but didn't get the police report, and just like everybody, he made it clear that Dell can care less if somebody stole my identity, they just want me to pay them $2,943.82. This here is posted on my Experian report; You have the right to obtain documents relating to fraudulent transactions made or accounts open using your personal information.

A creditor or other business must give you copies of applications and other business records relating to transactions and accounts that resulted from the theft of your identity, if you ask for them in writing. A business may ask you for proof of your identity, a police report, and an affidavit before giving you the documents. Not only has Dell refused me the right to this information, but refuse to turn this information/evidence over to the police, so the police can prosecute this person, and has disobey a court order for not turning over this information to the police.

DELL COMPUTER/DELL FINANCIAL is allowing this person to get away with identity theft. Plus every time I talk to them I record what they say, which they say I'm not allowed to record them. They have called me like 18 times in one week asking for their money, and when you tell them something they don't what to hear it. I have even asked them to take me to court over these matters, and they refused to do so. It's to the point where I had to pay an attorney to help me, because of Dell. Not only has Dell allowed this person to get away, but now I have bad credit. Today date 4/29/08.

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Cancelled my order without cause or explanation

By rippedoffbydell - 01/15/2008

While browsing Spoofee.com, I found a special for a 4GB DATATRAVELER 100 FLDR-USB 2.0 HS offered through Dell Inc. One would purchase a $25.00 OFF coupon on e-bay and Dell's price would be $1.99 after the coupon was applied. I did everything necessary and Dell sent me a verification e-mail and a delivery date. Afterwards I received a NEW delivery date that was supposed to be Jan 18, 2008. A few days later I logged on to Dell's site to check progress and in the My Account info, I found that they summarily CANCELED the order without notifying me.

ANYWAY... THEY TOOK AND KEPT MY COUPON WITHOUT ANY RECOURSE LEFT FOR ME... Can you see where Dell puts the customer? There's no way I would spend one more dollar with this chicken outfit!!!

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NO CHRISTMAS FOR ME

By SINGLE2006 - 02/27/2006

ROUND ROCK, TEXAS -- When this account is looked up there will appear two names My father Mr. ** and mine's **. This was supposed to be a Christmas gift to myself - so Christmas present: two defective computers. WHAT DO YOU HATE ME THAT MUCH? You cannot give me good service and the right computer. MY COMPUTER WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FULLY LOADED. I AM REALLY ENJOYING MY COMPUTER AT THIS TIME... NOT. I am writing this complaint because I am pissed being being pissed. I am so livid with your company. I received bad customer service and two defective laptops.

I received my Inspirion 6000 after Christmas. I needed the computer for a project that I have to do and is in charge of in April. From the month of December after Christmas until January 30, 2006, I have been off and on the computer and the phone with Dell's customer service and Technicians. Here are the following problems that occurred with the first defective laptop:

The keys on the computer did not function properly, 2. All of my software was not loaded on my system, 3. They did not send me all of the proper necessities that were supposed to come with my computer (All I received was a computer and a cord). I am just receiving all of the disk that I was supposed to receive with my computer if it shut down middle part of January 2006 (not right at all), 4. They sent me the wrong drives for my Laptop. Here is the ironic thing, they openly admitted that they knew I was supposed to have the dvd-rewriter drive, but instead they sent me cd drive. I was sent to customer service and she still sent me the wrong damn drive. Unbelievable.

Some of the programs function properly, 6. Could not delete or open some of my email on my computer, 7. You had to right click on the icons on the computer to open a program. THIS is not worth a thousand dollars. PERIOD.

The second problem was with the second laptop because they had to replace the first laptop. When talking with customer service, the young lady said that because it was around the Christmas season, they probably did not install everything on my first computer - it was like a rush job. Oh like I am supposed to be stupid and did not know my computer was malfunctioning and I deal with computers everyday. These are following problems with computer number two:

The system worked for about two weeks give or take and then I came home to check my email and guess what? The system would not load up. Can you believe it? What is going on? I called the Technician on That Saturday night (11/28/06) unbelievable. The technician told me that my system went down and guess what again - it was the windows xp that crashed. Oh my goodness! What next? Then the technician told me it was also a hardware problem.

Let me describe the situation. I go and plug up my computer to use it and then this big neon blue screen comes and says windows has shut down to prevent any other damages. This is really cute - it just keeps getting better. Then there is a message at the bottom that say "This is a hardware problem. Contact your technician to help you". Oh did I mention the Technician was really nice and helped me to reboot the system to bring up Windows xp? But then he told me to just follow the directions because he was getting off the phone, he didn't bother to tell me how to reload all of my software that is now is cyberspace.

So, I called my Sales rep and I told Ms. ** everything (ext) **. She then contacted me back and left a message saying that her team leader (boss) said "Let's pack up the computer and send it back". Ms. ** gave me a number to call and she instructed me to ask them to send me a new computer, because two defective systems were not acceptable. When I did call the number she gave to call, they told me that they could not help me. This is 1/30/2006. I was on the phone with them from 3:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. fussing with people who did not know anything about what I was saying, because I am the consumer and I am stupid.

We had lack of miscommunication. I had to hang up on one of the Customer Reps. because she was so nasty. During this period from 3 to 7:30 pm I had been passed around from one customer service rep to the return dept to the Technician department in which one case they told me that they could not help either, but in case it was the technician's dept. I was supposed to be talking to. Finally, I reached a Technician who insisted that I did not need a new system that he would send me a new drive and all of the disk to reinstall everything to my computer (so I could install it myself). Do I look like a Technician? This is not my job.

I asked him what was I supposed to tell my sales rep who told me that her Boss said to ask for a new system in exchange for the defective one. I said to him "So after I put the drive in the system being as though it was a hardware problem and then it did not work". He said "I then will send you a new system". No way this is business-like. My father was on the phone with me when the gentlemen said what he said.

Since, we were not getting anywhere he decided to call his supervisor. His supervisor name is Mr. J**. I told him everything and after all of this time, I could have talked to him - he said that he will have my new computer shipped to me and everything that was supposed to be on my system will be. These are the dates I talked and with a customer service rep and a technician: 1/10/06, 1/20/06 three times, 1/24/06, 1/25/06, 1/27/06, 1/30/06 three times. This is because they did not send my right disk or something was wrong with the computer and my drives. I am so exhausted. I am not happy at all. Words could never explain how I am feeling right now.

Dell almost made me late for service. I am not happy at all with that. You don't play with me when it comes to my soul salvation. At this time I feel like the life has been drained out of me. I have pains in my chest dealing with your company. This computer should be free after all of the problems that I have gone through. I am asking for my computer to be replaced and to be fully loaded with all the things that I asked for not what Dell wants me to have. I am asking that my bill be reduced or free. This was HELL...DEALING WITH YOUR COMPANY.

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Dell Financial Needs Major Help

By KatD9703 - 01/11/2005

FLORIDA -- If this wasn't happening firsthand to me I wouldn't believe it... June 16, 2000 we moved from Michigan to Florida. For over two years I have been trying to get the address changed in the Dell Financial computers. I personally have had to put reminders in outlook to call Dell for our invoices for over two years. On Nov 3 - I started off calling Dell Customer Service, I spoke with ** to ask for an invoice for a computer we recently purchased on their "60 Days Same As Cash" offer. ** informed me that he is Dell Customer Service, not Dell Financial. The two are totally different companies.

I informed him that for over 2 1/2 years I have been asking that our billing address get changed in the Dell computers because we aren't getting our invoices and I'm having to call and ask for them. ** transferred my call to Dell Financial and stayed on the line to assist if needed. We were connected to a Dell Financial Employee named **, employee #**, who couldn't figure out why our invoices were being sent to Michigan. She transferred the call to her supervisor, ** employee #**, who tells me our account is up-to-date and sends me an invoice dated October 2, 2004 for computer ** (it had been sent to Michigan - AGAIN)!

I (with Dell Customer Service representative ** still on the line) continue to try to find the magical person at Dell or Dell Financial who could finally change our address once and for all to Florida. While doing this (it took all day November 3) it comes to our attention that contract ** was not paid (invoice was sent to Michigan and I missed calling for the invoice). Dell Financial tells me that because we missed the 60 days, interest, finance charges and other assorted charges totaling $221.39 will be added to the bill.

I felt I had gone well beyond what would be expected from a customer in trying to get my address changed and my bills paid on time, I asked the charges be waived. Throughout the day we (** and myself) were passed between Corporate and Financial. We spoke with ** and **. At one point throughout the maze of people we spoke with, we were told that the first two employees, ** and ** didn't work for Dell Financial at all. When **, Dell Customer Service, asked if those people could have had access to our financial information we were told only Dell Financial employees had access to that information.

Since they were the people who sent us the invoices that morning, our point was made. Late in the afternoon we were told by ** that the invoice for ** and ** had been sent to the Florida address. When I disagreed with her she didn't change her answer until I stated I had a fax from Dell that morning with the Michigan address on it. By the end of the day it was resolved that Dell Financial would waive $200 of fees and Dell Corporate (**) agreed to paid $199 for all the grief Dell Financial put me through.

I stated I had put a check for $5,248.97 (to pay both computers in full) in the mail during lunch and then was told that the remit to address on the invoices faxed that morning was incorrect and I would need to call to confirm that the money was applied. November 3 - sent two emails to Dell financials' website and did not get a response. RE: Case ID: ** Invoice (Late/Not Received) - Acct: ** #AutoReply# **; RE: Case ID: ** Other - Acct: ** #AutoReply# **. November 18 - ** states check hasn't arrived yet. She suggested I call in my bank which verified the check has not been cashed.

I called Dell back - ** advised me not to stop payment, 15 days was not enough time to clear. She advised waiting until December 1 and call back Dell at that time if check hadn't cleared. ** confirmed that check still hadn't cleared and increased payoff date to an additional 20 days. ** advised me not to stop payment on check and to wait, the check would be posted the date Dell received it. November 23 - check cleared our bank. December 14 - I was told by ** that the check was received and that ** and ** have been paid.

I was also told that because of Dell Corporate contribution that an overpayment was due us in the amount of $83.41. All this was confirmed by **'s supervisor, **. December 22 - we received another invoice for **. ** said not to pay the invoice as our account was paid. January 3 - we received a call from ** informing us of a balance due of $8.05. I explained all the above and she said we would have a callback in two days.

January 4 - ** called wanting payment of $8.05. I explained everything to date. She once again confirmed the payment of $5,248.97, our check number ** and confirmed the $83.41 due us. She was sending a dispute sheet in for the $8.05 and said I shouldn't be bother by Dell over this any more.

January 6 - ** and then ** called. Once again I explained all to them. They confirmed that ** and ** paperwork was completed. ** said paperwork would take 30-45 days. I asked 45 days from when the paperwork was filed or from today - he couldn't give me an answer. January 10 - ** from Dell called (800) 667-9887 but did not leave an extension to be reached at.

January 11 - I called the above number, left a phone message and have not heard back. January 11 - I also received invoice ** in the amount of $81.38 for account **. January 11 - Called 1-800-667-9887 asked for **. Was given **. ** transferred me to his supervisor, **. ** states that our check for $5,248.97 was never received. I told him the check was received and cleared our bank on November 23 and this was confirmed by numerous Dell Financial Employees except him. He replied that "unless he sees it, he doesn't believe it".

I asked him for the phone number of Dell's Legal Department, that I'm through dealing with this. ** gave me the phone number of 877 577-3355 - NOT LEGAL'S NUMBER, Dell Financial's Customer Service number. ** answered. She would not give me legals' email. Advised me to go to the website. I advised her that on two previous occasions I went to the website and did not get a response. She said she's just a call center and all she could do was give me corporate address in Texas. On the upside, she did see that we paid $5,248.97 back in November.

Update: January 11 - 4:12 PM - ** called (note: she called on January 4) looking for payment. She transferred me to her supervisor ** who now says we owe $164. She says it's for account 5**. When I inform her it's not my account she puts me on hold again. When she comes back on the phone, ** states it's a "computer glitch" and that the above account isn't mine.

I am being harassed by Dell Financial. Even though this is a small business account, my personal credit is being affected by this matter. See http://www.my3cents.com/search.cgi?criteria=Dell, it appears that I am not the only person who is getting excess charges by Dell Financial because of an old address.

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Dell's Support is a Run-Around

By SSKH - 06/20/2011

After 3 long hours on the chat line, then on the phone to Tech Support, warranty sales, customer service and supervisor, customer service, I finally gave up. Seems my purchase of extended warranty was not what was represented to me. I had a component start-up error develop and went to TECH Support online chat to get help. Told this was a software issue. I let them know that I have a full extended warranty for support and they told me I only had online hardware and depot hardware fix warranty. I told them that was not what I was led to believe before I agreed to a warranty extension.

All I got from tech support was "you only paid for hardware warranty" then called warranty department and when I told them of the software problem was told Tech Support would be able to fix this under my warranty and "Oh by the way, your warranty is running out" and wanted to sell me an extension.

Transferred back to tech support with the same answer, your problem is a software, and even though the software was on the PC at time of purchase, you will have to pay Dell to fix since you don't have the warranty for software fixes. Wrong answer, so then they recommended customer care for complaint resolution - again after the whole long story, I heard the same song, "No software warranty - sorry". Then to a supervisor, almost same answer but then another pass off saying I need to talk to sales. You're kidding, right?

The super then advised DELL does not sell software warranty -- whoa. The warranty department sure calls it software warranty. His answer was again DELL does not provide software warranty. He then suggested the better place to settle this was not Customer Care but Sales - Really. After this run-around, I finally severed my relationship with DELL support and their warranties.